When I was young my dad would take me fishing for trout in various lakes and streams. While it was cool to hang out with dad, it was always the same thing for me; my beginner fishing rod and reel set with a bobber and some sort of marshmellow or egg on the hook while dad did all the actual fishing.

For a boy with my energy level it was bordering on torture. Sitting there with rod in hand trying to catch something that I couldn't see was, to me at the time, pretty much like a day long time-out. Sure there were the occasional nibbles that brought some excitement and every 3rd or 4th trip dad would catch a keeper. But wow, hanging out with him at home was much more fun to this young fellow's mind.

So now we fast forward to last summer. I have a friend that fishes (mainly lakes and almost always Bass) every chance he gets. He has a great boat built for Bass fishing. He has all the gear (something like 30 rod and reel sets and untold amounts of lures and baits), and even a house east east of the mountains where he keeps his boat. He also almost never keeps the fish unless, in the rare case, they get hooked in the gills and won't survive either way.

Now he and I had talked a little bit about his fishing. Me, having not fished at all since about 12 years old, was having a difficult time understanding why one would, having caught a fish, then proceed to throw it back and pretty much come away with nothing. I actually joked with ( more like made fun of him) about it for a couple of years.

That was until last summer. 5 of us all went over to his place east of the mountains on a 3 day fishing trip. I, with my boyhood fishing trips in mind, figured it would be pretty much a drinking trip with some boating and a few hours with a rod in my hand. I couldn't have possibly been more wrong.

We spent almost all of every day on that lake. And oh boy was I surprised at how different the fishing was compared to what it was in my youth. We were constantly working the line/lure and pretty much forcing the Bass to bite it. Damn me but it was the most fun that I had in many years. I even caught the biggest fish of the weekend, which was pretty cool.

So we come home to Seattle and get about our lives but I can't stop thinking about the fishing while on the trip. Things like, What if I try moving the bait in this manner? What makes this color bait more attractive than that slightly different color? Should I use live bait as opposed to the plastic stuff we used...

And the list goes on. I, in that one weekend, have developed not only an appreciation for, but a passion for fishing. Since then I have bought several rod and reel sets, a float tube, a frameless pontoon boat with motor and so many baits and lures that my shed is bursting at the seems.

Suffice it to say that (please pardon the pun) I'm hooked.

Anyone else have a passion that gripped them later in life?

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